Step by Step
by Melusine6619
Summary: A missing Elfling means Erestor and Glorfindel must postpone their first romantic evening.


Beta'd by the wonderful Ireth.

Written for Aglarien for the 2013 My Slashy Valentine fic exchange.

000

They would never think to look for her here.

She glanced around and behind her and, with a soft, triumphant laugh, grasped the door handle and tugged. On silent hinges the door moved out toward her. She peeked inside to be sure no one else had chosen this spot, but no one had. Quickly, before anyone came close by, she ducked inside and pulled the door shut again.

She settled herself next to the wall so that if the seeker or one of his companions opened the door she would not be seen. Then, heart thudding, but with a small smile on her face, she settled down to wait.

000

Erestor read over the letter he had just written, his feather quill touching his lips as he studied it. With a frown he added another line. Satisfied, he set it aside for Elrond to look over when he returned later that evening, before wiping the last bit of ink off his quill. Once it was clean he placed it in its stand and closed his bottle of ink with the same care. Finally, he placed ink, quill, and blotter out of his way on the desk and glanced out his office window.

The promise of snow had come to fruition, and now his view was obscured by a steady fall of flakes on the other side of the window glass.

He glanced at the candle marking the hours and wondered if the snow would delay Elrond's return. And of course, that of Glorfindel, who had accompanied him. The two had set out with a small company to scout the area for signs of Orcs. To say Erestor looked forward to Glorfindel's return understated the case, and he smiled, thinking of the evening ahead.

It was to be their first get-together for a meal in his quarters. Alone. It wasn't for lack of trying on his part. There had been the offer of friendship, gladly formed on both sides, when Glorfindel had first arrived in the hidden valley, and flirtations, of course—less welcome at first, but now returned in full measure to his own. But before he had left for patrol Glorfindel had agreed to the suggested rendezvous. The snow might put a damper on things though, if it made them late.

He pushed back his chair and rolled his shoulders as he stood. He had spent the time after the midday meal doing correspondence, and while not an arduous task, it did wear sitting still for so long, hunched over his desk. Perhaps next time he would volunteer to go out on patrol. It had been a while. Too long, actually. In the meantime, though, he would go and speak with Cook to make sure everything was going according to plan.

As Erestor entered the main hall he paused and looked around in some surprise. More people than usual milled about and he wondered what the hubbub was. A touch on his arm made him look to his left to see the lady of the house with a worried look upon her face.

"Erestor, have you seen Arwen?"

"No, I haven't seen her since we dined earlier today. What's wrong?"

Celebrian glanced out of one of the long windows near them. Her voice shook when she spoke again. "I haven't been able to find her. She's usually in her room this time of day."

Erestor looked around the hall again. "Have you asked her playmates if they've seen her?"

"Elladan is doing that. Elrohir is questioning the kitchen staff."

"I'm sure she'll turn up soon," he offered, smiling. "Likely she's in the house somewhere."

Elrohir at that moment hurried up to them, frowning. "No one from the kitchen has seen her this afternoon, Mother."

"She played hide and seek after the noon meal," Elladan reported as he strode in from out of doors. "No one could find her."

Celebrian paled, and Erestor had a good idea what went through her mind. There were so many places she could be-the river, the waterfall, the many balconies, the ground beneath one of them.

"She can't have gone far, my lady. She's only eight."

"I know, but still …"

"We'll find her." Erestor opened his mouth to organize search parties, but a voice spoke from behind him.

"Find who?"

He turned and for a moment he was distracted by a pair of warm blue eyes, then he smiled slightly in greeting before he became all business again. "Arwen."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"She's missing."

It was Elrond who had answered, and Erestor waited tensely with everyone else as he stilled and looked inward. Finally Elrond said, "I can't see where she is. I feel no fear."

"What about the house?" Glorfindel asked.

"We've searched her usual spots. She wasn't in any of them, nor was she in her room."

"Take a few more people, search the rest of the house. The rest of us will go over the grounds." Erestor paused and bowed his head slightly to Elrond.

The Lord of Imladris merely smiled slightly. "See that it's done."

Erestor nodded and with a few words sent the Twins off to gather everyone that could be spared. Hardly any time at all passed before the hastily ordered parties gathered back in front of the house. Instructions were given and everyone set out. Erestor watched Elrond and Celebrian embrace and then he turned to follow Glorfindel, who was already striding off. He hurried to catch up.

"I'm sorry about tonight," Glorfindel said, glancing his way as Erestor drew close.

Erestor couldn't help his broad grin at the thought of Glorfindel's disappointment, but he sobered quickly. "So am I, but we'll make it up."

"I look forward to it."

Then he nodded to Erestor and moved away to the left to begin searching.

000

So far the search had been fruitless, though the snow at least had stopped for now. They had gone over every bit of ground near the river and near the waterfall, but there had been no sign of Arwen. They had walked back and forth in the gardens. There had been no lost little girl there either. Nor had she been in the stables. Elladan and Elrohir were leading a few up into the hills, though it seemed unlikely to Erestor that Arwen would have climbed up there. Now he and Glorfindel and a few others were searching the orchard.

Erestor moved on, methodically looking over the ground, behind trees and up into them. He had found a fallen tree branch, too slender to bear the weight of the snow, and just tall enough to use as a walking stick. This he used to probe snowdrifts as he came upon them. He stopped now to check yet another, but it proved to be only snow with no little child buried beneath. His relief was rapidly followed by mounting worry. Surely Arwen was not out so far? And if she was, how long could she survive without shelter?

He glanced over at Glorfindel, who was back behind him, looking in the direction of the storage shed at the edge of the orchard.

"What is it?" he called.

"I was just thinking," Glorfindel replied. "Where would you hide if you were a little girl?"

"Who knows?"

"What if you were determined to win the game or be the last one caught? Someplace no one would expect, right?"

"Well, naturally."

Glorfindel lifted a hand and pointed. "What about there?"

"Didn't you search there already?"

"No. I thought you did."

Erestor started toward it. "Come on."

"Right behind you."

They reached the shed at the same time, and Erestor thought maybe Glorfindel was right. The door was never kept locked. Who would steal, after all? He could see the sense of Glorfindel's hunch. It had been a long time since Erestor had played hide and seek, but this did seem like a good place to hide.

Glorfindel pulled the door open and peered inside. He released a breath and then turned back to Erestor, flashing a smile. "She's here. Asleep. She seems all right too."

"Thank Eru," Erestor murmured. He moved close and peeked past Glorfindel. Sure enough, Arwen lay curled up on a large sack of seeds, her cloak wrapped around her.

"Come, little one," Glorfindel said, stepping inside the cramped space.

He bent down and picked Arwen up in his arms. Erestor drew off the cloak he'd remembered to grab from his office before starting out and draped it over and around her.

"Glorfindel?" she asked, stirring awake. "Are you playing too?"

"You might say that."

"And did I win?"

"Yes, you did," Erestor replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Good." She snuggled up against Glorfindel. "I kept waiting for someone to find me and then when I was going to give up it was snowing. I'm not supposed to wander around in the snow when it's bad. Nana said so."

"Your nana is very wise," Glorfindel said. "And so are you to remember that."

Erestor stepped back away from them, raised his right hand and placed two fingers in his mouth and gave a whistle. Almost immediately it was returned and then another followed. He nodded and then turned back to Glorfindel and Arwen.

"Time to go home."

000

Erestor smiled as he waited for the answer to his knock on Glorfindel's door the following evening. He and Glorfindel had delivered Arwen safely to Elrond and Celebrian, who alternated scolding the little girl and hugging her. There had been a late dinner, a celebration of sorts, and neither Erestor nor Glorfindel had thought of slipping away. Tonight though, there was nothing to prevent them from keeping an engagement. Or having an impromptu one.

The door swung inward and Glorfindel stood there, tunic loose and golden hair flowing to his waist. He smiled and stepped aside for Erestor to enter his quarters.

"Actually," Erestor said, "there's something I want to show you. Never got around to it before, and I thought … Well …"

Glorfindel's face lit up and his eyes glowed. "Do I need anything?"

"Better grab your boots and cloak."

He took the torch from its sconce on the wall as he waited for Glorfindel to tug his boots back on and grab his cloak from its peg. Once he had thrown his cloak round his shoulders and closed his door, Erestor jerked his head to the right with a grin. "This way."

"I thought we were going outside," Glorfindel said, falling into step beside him.

"Eventually."

"Then where are you taking me?"

Erestor smiled. "You'll see."

They continued on, around a corner, down one corridor, then another. Glorfindel asked no more questions but Erestor could sense his curiosity.

"Just a little further," he told him.

They entered a hallway filled with tapestries. Erestor paid no heed to any of them, until he reached one. Then he stopped and glanced at Glorfindel. The Fall of Gondolin was picked out in colorful threads, probably romanticized. He didn't know for sure, as he had not been there. Glorfindel's lips tightened and then he returned Erestor's look. He opened his mouth to speak, but Erestor stopped him.

"This isn't what I wanted to show you. Here, hold this." Erestor thrust the torch at Glorfindel, who took it without further question.

Erestor grabbed the side of the tapestry and pulled it away from the wall, revealing an empty space where stone should have been. Glorfindel stepped forward and peered in and upward.

"Never knew this was here."

"Come on." Erestor stepped past him and began climbing up the stairs.

Glorfindel followed, and Erestor could almost feel his curiosity growing. "We're here," he announced. They had reached a door and Erestor drew a key from his belt and unlocked it.

They stepped through and out onto a wide balcony. Or what seemed at first a balcony. It was instead the uppermost level of a tower that looked out over the countryside. Their breath froze, hanging there like a cloud before disappearing. The snowstorm had passed and the clouds lifted away, letting starlight touch the trees and ground.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"I'd say so."

Erestor turned to look at him, only to find himself the object of Glorfindel's regard. He was smiling too, a smile he wore as easily as a cloak. He smiled more often now than when they'd first met a decade ago. It suited him, made him more handsome, did things to Erestor's insides.

Glorfindel finally looked away from him and around at the surrounding countryside. "You're right, it is beautiful up here. Thank you."

"Thought you'd like it. You can really see the stars from here. Look up."

Glorfindel did. Erestor looked up too. The sky was filled with them, little dots of light far away. He wondered if it would be wrong to ask Elbereth for the wish of his heart, that Glorfindel would see him as more than a friend, more than someone to flirt with. But he knew too that he could wait as long as it took. This was just the first step. The first of many, he hoped. He started when a hand brushed his, and he looked down again as he curved his own around it.

"Glorfindel-."

Whatever he was going to say, whatever thoughts he had, evaporated as a pair of firm, warm lips covered his. It didn't last long, but it was enough, and there was a promise in it, a promise of more. He wondered if he looked as bemused as he felt when Glorfindel drew back and then decided he didn't care.

"I've been waiting to do that all day."

"Have you?"

Glorfindel nodded.

"Then maybe you should do it again," Erestor replied, tugging him close.

Only this time it was Erestor who kissed Glorfindel. And this time, it was longer.

The End


End file.
